A REVIEW ON POLLUTION STATUS OF RIVER BHAGIRATHI–HOOGHLY IN THE STRETCH OF WEST BENGAL, INDIA.

A.K. Panigrahi; Subasini Pattnaik

Volume : IX, Issue : VIII, August - 2019

A REVIEW ON POLLUTION STATUS OF RIVER BHAGIRATHI–HOOGHLY IN THE STRETCH OF WEST BENGAL, INDIA.

A. K. Panigrahi, Subasini Pattnaik

Abstract :

Ganges (river Ganga) is one of the important river systems in the world and the largest river basin of India covering an area about 1,086,000 km2. About one third urban population of the country (37%) live in different towns besides the river. In its entire stretch, river Ganga flows through several states of India namely Uttarakhand, Uttarprdesh, Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal. In its lower stretch the Ganga flows through the state West Bengal by the name “Bhagirathi–Hooghly” and finally meets the Bay of Bengal. Recently this river system is facing the adverse effects of rapid urbanisation and industrialization especially due to the massive discharge of domestic and industrial effluents directly into the river in addition to various agrochemicals through surface water runoff.Although a number of research works and Government projects have been initiated to assess the pollution load and to improve the water quality of the river but the success rate is quite low. River Ganga is still considered as the sixth most–polluted river in the world. The present work is an attempt to gather all data related to the limnological characteristics of the river and to point out the major sources of pollution (point and non–point sources) in Bhagirathi–Hooghly river stretch of West Bengal.